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One of North America's coolest and eye-catching native perennial flowers, the Blazing Star, also commonly called Gayfeather, features clumps 2 to 4 feet leafy stalks topped by spikes packed with fluffy purple to bluish purple 3/4" flowers that provide a wonderful vertical accent in the garden in summer. In the wild it occurs in moist low grounds, meadows and marsh margins so is a good selection for areas where the soil stays consistently moist. Liatris belongs to the aster family, with each flower head having only fluffy disk flowers resembling "blazing stars," hence the name. and no ray flowers. The flowers are excellent for use in fresh or dried floral arrangements.

Growing 2 to 4 feet tall in clumps 12 to 18 inches wide, Blazing Star is ideal for use as an accent in smaller garden spaces or grouped in perennial and cut flower garden borders. Its upright growth habit also serves well as a centerpiece or vertical accent in container gardens. A fine addition to cut flower gardens, hummingbird gardens, butterfly gardens, pollinator gardens, native gardens, cottage gardens, meadow gardens, wildflower gardens and purple theme gardens.

Blazing Star is very easy to grow when planted right, and in the right spot. It prefers a well-drained but consistently moist to damp soil and full sun to mostly sun for best flowering. Very low maintenance, plants can be cut back to just above the ground in winter or early spring. 

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